Roller-clamp.



H. J. LOWE.

ROLLER CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-6,19l4.

1 1 44,556., Patented June 29, 1915.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHUTO'LITHQ. WAsH/NGI'ON. D. r

UNITED TATE PATENT @FFIQE.

HERBERT JAMES LOWE, 0F GALESBUB-G, ILLINDIS.

ROLLER-CLAMP.

iaaaaae.

Application filed November 6, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT J. LOWE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Roller-Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to holders or clamps for holding the ends of a belt, strap, tape or band against tension while they are spliced, sewed together, stapled together or otherwise secured together and is concerned more particularly with an article of this type provided with corrugated clamping rollers traveling in an arc and working in conjunction with cooperating clamping anvils or plates, and has for its main objects to provide easy and quick insertion of the strap ends between the respective rollers and anvils; easy means of removing the strap or belt after the ends thereof have been fastened together, easy access to the strap, belt or tape ends so that they may be sewed, stapled or otherwise secured together on any suitable commonly known machine for the purpose with a minimum of time and trouble.

Other objects are to provide for durability, simplicity and cheap manufacture, all of which objects, among others, are accom plished by the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a device embodying my invention, two strap ends, broken away, being indicated in dotted lines as held by the rollers in position to be fastened together; Fig. 2, a detail top plan view of one end, showing the clamping roller in dotted lines in open position; Fig. 3, a similar bottom plan view; Fig. 4, a front elevation of one end, showing the roller and supporting arms in dotted position to allow the insertion of the end of the strap or tape between the roller and curved plate; Fig. 5, a longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 55 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 6 represents an end elevation.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 1 designates two parallel projecting parts of an integral plate in line with each other at their front edges and connected by a web 2 at their rear inner corners, said web 2 curving slightly outward beyond their rear edges so as to leave a large free opening 3 for Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 29, 1915.

Serial No. 870,631.

convenient access. The ends of the strap come together or overlap in this opening 8, see Fig. l, and may be sewed, stapled or otherwise secured together on the usual sewing or stapling machine or other apparatus suitable for the purpose, there being no part of the device above or below the ends at this point or in any position to interfere with this operation. The same advantage of accessibility applies with equal force in case the ends are to be laced or spliced together by hand.

Each part 1 is provided with a fixed clamping block or member 4:, which may be welded thereon as shown in the preferred form, or integral therewith, as shown in Fig. 1, these two forms being considered equivalents. This anvil at in each instance is located on the outer part of the upper face of the r spective part 1 and has its inner upper part inclined or beveled and curved from its upper face down to the face of part 1. A shaft 5 is mounted in suitable bearings 6 secured to the bottom of each part 1 just under the curved face of said clamping block or member, hence the curve of said clamping block or member is, in each instance, eccentric to said shaft. Each end of said shaft 5 is squared and carries respectively arms 7 and 8 riveted thereto or otherwise suitably secured thereto.

Swiveled in the top of each arm 8 is a bearing block 9 held in place by the usual cooperating screw and annular groove swivel connection, see Fig. 6. A clamping roller 10 is mounted in each of said bearing blocks 9 and bearing slot 11 in the upper part of the corresponding arm 7, being held in the former in all positions by pin and annular slot engagement, see Fig. 6, allowing free rotation, and held in the latter while the ends of the strap or belt are being spliced by vertical pin 12, which is screw-threaded for a short distance near its upper part to engage screw-threads in the upper part of arm 7, but requires but few turns to clear the threads and permit it to be quickly withdrawn after the strap endshave been secured together and it is desired to release the strap. In such case the roller 10 is swung around to the dotted line position, shown in Fig. 2, on its swiveled bearing block 9 and the clamp can then be moved away from the strap or belt. A spring 13 clamped or otherwise securely connected at one end to each part 1 of the main plate, coiled around shaft 5 and having'its other end secured therein exerts its power to turn shaft 5 outward, thus swinging arms 7 and 8 and roller 10 outward,

hence the two rollers 10 will be springs...

is, in each instance, eccentric to the arc of travel of the proximate roller 10, this eccentricity increasing and the surfaces of the plate or block 4land roller 10, in each instance, coming closer together as the roller 10 swings outward under the influence of spring 13, providing a cam action. Thus normally a strap or belt end inserted under one of said rollers 10 will be tightly held by the latter against pulling out, but may be tightened or drawn in with comparative ease, the spring giving in the latter instance,

I but aiding the gripping action in the former.

In operation both rollers 10 are swung to their inner positions as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4;, the rollers being then farthest away from their respective fixed clamping members, the ends of the strap or belt are inserted under the respective rollers and the latter are thereupon released, assuming the position shown in full lines in said figure. The ends of said strap or belt are then pulled together until it has been adjusted as desired and the ends fastened together in any suitable manner as above mentioned, the pins 12 are then withdrawn and the rollers 10 swung inward to the dotted line position of Fig. 2. The clamp is then moved away from the strap or belt, the rollers swung back to their normal position and the pins again turned in, looking said rollers in such position and the device is again in condition for further use.

Of course any suitable materials may be used, all parts may be stamped out and various minor changes and modifications may be made in this invention, of which only the preferred form is shown and described herein, without avoiding the spirit thereof, and it is my intention and desire to protect all such changes and modifications by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a rock-shaft and a fixed clamping member having a face inclined downward from the horizontal top of said member and in the direction opposite to that of the clamping movement of the roller hereinafter mentioned, a roller carried by said shaft and a spring tending toturn said shaft so as to move said roller into position for clamping interposed material against said inclined face, but yielding to release said material when said shaft ismoved in the opposite direction.

2. In combination with a rock-shaft and a pair of arms carried thereby, one of which is provided with an open slot, removable means for closing said slot, a roller carried by said arms and permitted by said means to be held therein or dislodged at will, a fixed clamping'member having a curved surface eccentric to the arc of travel of said roller in its clamping movement, and a spring for moving said roller into locking position with relation to said fixed clamping member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HERBERT JAMES LOWE.

Witnesses O. N. CUSTER GEORGE A. PERRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

